Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A communication apparatus configured to communicate with a first communication apparatus different from the communication apparatus via both of a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and an internet, the communication apparatus comprising: a requiring section configured to transmit, from the communication apparatus to the first communication apparatus, a requirement for establishing a state in which the first communication apparatus is allowed to communicate with the communication apparatus via the internet, the requirement being transmitted from the communication apparatus to the first communication apparatus via the internet by using an IP address of the first communication apparatus; a first communication establishing section configured to establish a state in which the communication apparatus is allowed to communicate via the internet with the first communication apparatus that has accepted the requirement transmitted by the requiring section; a calling section configured to transmit a dial signal of a first identification number to a switch via the PSTN to call a first-identification-number assigned apparatus when the first communication establishing section has established the state in which the communication apparatus is allowed to communicate with the first communication apparatus, wherein the first identification number is an identification number of the a first-identification-number assigned apparatus used on the PSTN and the first identification number is associated with the IP address of the first communication apparatus and the switch is placed on the PSTN; a notifying section configured to transmit a notification about calling of the communication apparatus, from the communication apparatus to the first communication apparatus via the internet after the calling section has called; a first receiving section configured to receive a called-acknowledgement-signal from the first communication apparatus, wherein the called-acknowledgement-signal is transmitted from the first communication apparatus to the communication apparatus via the internet when the first communication apparatus has received the notification and the first communication apparatus has been called via the PSTN; and a communication controlling section configured to control communication of the communication apparatus with the first communication apparatus via the PSTN when the first receiving section has received the called-acknowledgement-signal transmitted from the first communication apparatus.
The communication apparatus enables communication via both the internet and a phone line (PSTN). It first requests permission from another device to communicate over the internet using the device's IP address. If accepted, a secure internet connection is established. Then, the apparatus dials the other device's phone number on the PSTN. After dialing, a notification is sent over the internet to the other device indicating an incoming call. Upon receiving an acknowledgement signal from the other device (sent over the internet confirming they received the notification and are being called), communication is then controlled via the phone line (PSTN).
2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first identification number on the PSTN is a facsimile number.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 1 uses a facsimile (fax) number as the first identification number on the phone line (PSTN).
3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage portion configured to store the IP address and the first identification number on the PSTN, the first identification number being associated with the IP address.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 1 has a storage component that saves the IP address of another device and the corresponding phone number (PSTN), linking these two addresses together.
4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a ringing signal detecting section configured to detect a transmission of a ringing signal indicating that the switch is calling the first-identification-number assigned apparatus by calling the first-identification-number assigned apparatus by the calling section, wherein the notifying section is configured to transmit the notification about the calling of the communication apparatus, from the communication apparatus to the first communication apparatus via the internet when the ringing signal detecting section has detected the ringing signal.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 1 detects a ringing signal on the phone line (PSTN) confirming that the target device is being rung. Only after detecting this ringing signal is the internet notification sent to the target device about the incoming call.
5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the called-acknowledgement-signal is transmitted to the communication apparatus via the internet from the first communication apparatus having received the notification from the notifying section, when the first communication apparatus has received the notification from the notifying section while being called via the PSTN.
The acknowledgement signal that is sent over the internet only occurs when the other device has received both the internet notification of an incoming call and is actively being called on the phone line (PSTN).
6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the called-acknowledgement-signal is a signal indicating that the first communication apparatus having received the notification transmitted by the notifying section has been called via the PSTN, and wherein the communication controlling section includes a communication performing section configured to perform communication of the communication apparatus with the first-identification-number assigned apparatus via the PSTN on condition that the first receiving section has received the called-acknowledgement-signal.
The acknowledgement signal from the other device indicates that it has received the internet notification and is being called on the phone line (PSTN). The communication apparatus then begins communication over the phone line (PSTN) only after receiving this acknowledgement.
7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the communication controlling section includes a first stopping section configured to stop a calling of the calling section where the first receiving section has not received the called-acknowledgement-signal by the time when a predetermined length of time has passed from the transmission of the notification by the notifying section.
If the communication apparatus doesn't receive the acknowledgement signal from the other device within a defined time after sending the internet notification, then the apparatus stops dialing on the phone line (PSTN).
8. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a busy signal detecting section configured to detect a busy signal indicating that the switch is communicating with the first-identification-number assigned apparatus called by another communication apparatus, wherein the notifying section is configured to further transmit a busy-notification that the identification number first-identification-number assigned apparatus is busy, to the first communication apparatus via the internet when the busy signal detecting section has detected the busy signal.
If the communication apparatus detects a busy signal on the phone line (PSTN) when dialing the target device, it sends a "busy" notification over the internet to the other device.
9. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising: a first judging section configured to judge whether a predetermined length of time has passed or not from the time when the first receiving section has received the called-acknowledgment signal; and a ringing-signal-stop detecting section configured to detect whether the transmission of the ringing signal is stopped or not, wherein the communication controlling section includes a second stopping section configured to stop a calling of the calling section where the ringing-signal-stop detecting section has not detected a stop of the transmission of the ringing signal and where the first judging section has judged that the predetermined length of time has passed from the receiving of the called-acknowledgment signal by the first receiving section.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 4 monitors both the receipt of the acknowledgement signal from the other device and also whether the ringing signal on the phone line (PSTN) has stopped. If the ringing signal continues for too long after the acknowledgement signal has been received, then the apparatus will stop dialing.
10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the notifying section is configured to further notify the first communication apparatus of a second identification number, which is an identification number of the communication apparatus on the PSTN, and wherein the first receiving section is configured to receive the called-acknowledgement-signal, which is transmitted when the first communication apparatus notified by the notifying section has been judged that the second identification number on the PSTN notified by the notifying section and the identification number of an apparatus on the PSTN that is calling the first communication apparatus via the PSTN coincide with each other.
When notifying the other device over the internet of an incoming call, the communication apparatus also sends its own phone number (PSTN) to the other device. The acknowledgement signal is only sent back if the other device verifies that the incoming call on the phone line (PSTN) matches the phone number it received in the internet notification.
11. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second communication establishing section configured to establish a state in which the communication apparatus is allowed to communicate with a second communication apparatus different from the communication apparatus via the internet where a requirement for establishing the state in which the communication apparatus is allowed to communicate with the second communication apparatus via the internet has been transmitted; a called signal detecting section configured to detect a called signal which is transmitted from the switch placed on the PSTN, where the second communication establishing section has established the state in which the communication apparatus is allowed to communicate with the second communication apparatus; a second receiving section configured to receive, via the internet, notification about calling of the second communication apparatus; an acknowledgment signal transmitting section configured to transmit a called-acknowledgement-signal indicating that the second receiving section has received the notification about a calling of the second communication apparatus, to the second communication apparatus via the internet where the second receiving section has received the notification about the calling of the second communication apparatus during the detection of the called signal by the called signal detecting section; and a connecting section configured to connect the PSTN when the acknowledgment signal transmitting section has transmitted the called-acknowledgement-signal.
The communication apparatus can also receive calls. When another device wants to call, it establishes an internet connection. When a phone call is received, a notification is sent over the internet to the calling device. An acknowledgement is then sent back over the internet to the calling device, and only then the phone line (PSTN) connection is established.
12. The communication apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising: a second judging section configured to judge whether a predetermined length of time has passed from the time when the second communication establishing section has established the state in which the communication apparatus is allowed to communicate with the second communication apparatus; and a first informing section configured to inform that the second communication apparatus is calling by using another identification number different from an identification number of the communication apparatus on the PSTN where the called signal detecting section has not detected the called signal by the time when the second judging section has judged that the predetermined length of time has passed from the establishment of the state in which the communication apparatus is allowed to communicate with the second communication apparatus.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 11 keeps track of how long the internet connection has been established with the calling device. If a phone call isn't received within a specified timeframe, the apparatus uses another method (different from the normal phone ringing) to alert the user that there's an incoming call from the other device.
13. The communication apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising: a third receiving section configured to receive a busy-signal-notification that a busy signal indicating that the switch is communicating with the communication apparatus called by another communication apparatus has been detected, from the second communication apparatus via the internet, where the second receiving section has not received the notification about the calling of the second communication apparatus; and a second informing section configured to inform that the communication apparatus is being called by said another communication apparatus different from the second communication apparatus where the third receiving section has received the busy-signal-notification that the busy signal has been detected.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 11, if it doesn't receive the internet notification from the calling device about an incoming call, it can receive a different type of notification: a "busy" notification indicating the device is already on another call. The apparatus then informs the user that the device is currently being called by someone else.
14. The communication apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising a third informing section configured to inform that a network failure has occurred, where the third receiving section has not received the busy-signal-notification that the busy signal has been detected.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 13, if it fails to receive ANY notification (neither the call notification, nor the busy notification), then the apparatus will inform the user that a network failure has occurred.
15. The communication apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising an obtaining section configured to obtain a third identification number, which is an identification number of a calling apparatus on the PSTN, the calling apparatus having caused the switch to transmit the called signal to be detected by the called signal detecting section, wherein the second receiving section is configured to further receive a fourth identification number, which is an identification number of the second communication apparatus on the PSTN via the internet, wherein the communication apparatus further comprises a checking section configured to check whether the third identification number on the PSTN which has been obtained by the obtaining section and the fourth identification number on the PSTN which has been received by the second receiving section coincide with each other or not, and wherein the acknowledgment signal transmitting section is configured to transmit the called-acknowledgment signal to the second communication apparatus where the third identification number on the PSTN which has been obtained by the obtaining section and the fourth identification number on the PSTN which has been received by the second receiving section coincide with each other as a result of the check of the checking section.
The communication apparatus described in Claim 11 gets the caller ID of the incoming phone call on the PSTN, and also receives the expected caller ID from the calling device over the internet. It then compares these two caller IDs. The acknowledgement signal is only sent back over the internet if the caller IDs match.
Unknown
October 21, 2014
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.